A FORMER government vet has been convicted of killing a man during an extreme drug-fuelled sadomasochistic sex session.

Kirk Thompson, 46, will be jailed by a judge tomorrow for the manslaughter of David Kochs.

During the incident he is said to have burnt and cut Mr Kochs, originally from the Bishop Auckland area, and caused severe internal injuries after they had made contact on the internet.

Newcastle Crown Court heard both men had been taking the drug crystal meth when they engaged in the violent episode at Thompson's flat in Dulverton Court, Jesmond, Newcastle, on March 2 last year.

The jury was told that the defendant enjoyed inflicting pain on others and that night he boasted on the internet about the kind of activity the two had engaged in.

At some point during the evening, Thompson, a former altar boy, became aware that Mr Kochs, 43, was either dead or unconscious, and he covered him with a duvet on the floor of his living room.

He then had sex with another man he invited round and had also met online as the body of Mr Kochs lay in the flat.

After arresting him, Thompson told police the men had engaged in "extreme no limits anything goes sex", but said he believed Mr Kochs had been asleep and that was why he covered him with the duvet.

The jury today (Wednesday, April 2) found him guilty of the manslaughter charge as well as one of actual bodily harm.

Mr Justice Globe said sentencing would take place tomorrow (Thursday, April 3) and told Thompson that a sentence of imprisonment was the only one that he should expect.

"There is only one sentence that can be imposed and it is a custodial sentence," he said.

"I will be giving consideration to what it should be and I will hear submissions tomorrow morning."

Thompson worked for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), based in Whitehall, from 2003, playing a major role in the response to the bird flu outbreak in 2004-5 bird flu by working on guidelines on how to deal with the threat.

But he said he had to leave Whitehall, despite being tipped for the top role of Chief Vet by his boss, and moved back to the North East where his parents lived.